1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic recording media, and more specifically, it relates to removal of dust from magnetic recording media.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional processes for manufacturing magnetic disk media, a magnetic film is formed on a magnetic disk medium, and then lubricant is applied to the magnetic disk medium. The magnetic disk medium coated with lubricant is then smoothed with a tape. The smoothed magnetic disk medium is then tested. After the testing is completed, non-defective ones of the media are transferred from a case for testing to a shipping case. Some of the media are checked for surface defects, and lots meeting the acceptability criterion are shipped. In this checking, the media are checked for dust contamination caused by handling when the media are transferred to the shipping case. In order to minimize the dust contamination of the media, it is ideal to pack the media in a clean shipping case just after the testing. However, in order to realize this, it is necessary to supply a case for testing and a shipping case at the same time and to incorporate equipment for it into the line. This is difficult because the cost of equipment and the space occupied by equipment increase. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 56-090428 proposes to perform the tape burnishing again when magnetic disk media are attached to magnetic disk devices. However, dust contamination when magnetic disk media are put in a shipping case is not taken into consideration.